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Gave up on DE Razors
- Thread starter Rodimus80
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Shave and let a little stubble grow out. Then run your fingers in different directions on different parts of your face. Write down your results and then learn the results. I'm sure a bunch of methods exist but that's how I figured it out!
In my case, half of my neck area grows in a different direction than the other side. The upper part of my face all grows pretty evenly in the same direction. I never knew this till I mapped my growth!
Good Luck!
As others have already said, you probably need a new razor if it doesn't stay tightly screwed in through the shave. That's surely a huge reason for the cuts and irritation. (Too much pressure and going over the same area too much could be factors too.)
Necks are just weird, at least mine is. Stubble seems to grow in all random directions. That, along with the difficult surface shape and sensitive area make it nearly impossible to get completely smooth. The best I can do is a pass that's generally against the grain (you might need a WTG pass first since it sounds like your stubble is thicker), followed by some j-hook strokes while pushing my throat toward the side I'm shaving to make it more convex.
Even then, BBS is just an ideal. I've never actually achieved it myself. (I could go on a long rant about how I think that term is thrown around way too loosely!) I've approached it once or twice. All but a thumbnail-size area or 2 on a really good day. But there usually ends up with some small section(s) of neck or jawline that stubbornly refuses to get smooth, and I have to leave well enough along or I'll end up with weepers and irritation.
For me though, that's a lot better than cartridges. They always shredded the heck out of my neck if I tried going ATG with them, so I was never anywhere close to smooth with those. But if you can't get the results you want after trying the advice in this thread, and you can with cartridges, then you gotta do what you gotta do...
Necks are just weird, at least mine is. Stubble seems to grow in all random directions. That, along with the difficult surface shape and sensitive area make it nearly impossible to get completely smooth. The best I can do is a pass that's generally against the grain (you might need a WTG pass first since it sounds like your stubble is thicker), followed by some j-hook strokes while pushing my throat toward the side I'm shaving to make it more convex.
Even then, BBS is just an ideal. I've never actually achieved it myself. (I could go on a long rant about how I think that term is thrown around way too loosely!) I've approached it once or twice. All but a thumbnail-size area or 2 on a really good day. But there usually ends up with some small section(s) of neck or jawline that stubbornly refuses to get smooth, and I have to leave well enough along or I'll end up with weepers and irritation.
For me though, that's a lot better than cartridges. They always shredded the heck out of my neck if I tried going ATG with them, so I was never anywhere close to smooth with those. But if you can't get the results you want after trying the advice in this thread, and you can with cartridges, then you gotta do what you gotta do...
Hard to actually tell from that angle. I would probably take it facing the camera with your chin facing slightly up with good lighting. Compression and focus is also something that make it difficult to tell.
Another way to tell is to get a cottonball and lightly drag it in one direction over your neck and face, you'll be able to tell when you are going against the grain in a certain direction when the cottonball sticks and gets some traction.
I'm not sure if its going to help but some people like using things like the PAA's cube as a preshave. I think Razorock makes their own cube too.
Another thing I tried a few hours ago was my Razorock tech II which is modeled after the vintage Gillette tech. It was on sale for $5.99 recently so I thought I would give it a go. It was actually really easy going and maybe when its on sale you could grab one of those and a handle of your choice which also tend to go on sale often. My shave went really well with it as it was pretty mild. I did get a few weepers but that's because I had some irritation already but an hour later and my face is as smooth as silk. BBS shave for sure!
I will give my Rockwell model-T2 a try next and let you know how it goes since its been a while since I have used it.
Italian barber also has another razor that is similar in design to the tech that should be even cheaper by rapira than $5.99 that may also be worth a try. The swedish super steel is the better option of the two in my opinion. At $3.99 its well below the buyers remorse mark so maybe that's worth a try. I picked up both of them also but haven't tried the rapira tech knockoffs yet but if they are anything like the gillette tech and razorock tech II they could be a good option for a start.
Judging by the condition of your skin you appear to have a few razor bumbs on your neck so I would suggest that you let your skin settle a little bit by letting your hair grow out and not shaving until everything clears up. This is something I have had to do even with a cart razor when I had a bad shave or regrowth irritation. Often at times your next shave will only be as good as your previous one so keep that in mind. You can't always follow up a bad shave with a good shave regardless of what you use.
I noticed you didn't mention anything about an alum or witch hazel. Whilst these will not prevent you from having a bad shave they may help recover from a shave if used immediately after.
My post shave routine:
1. Alum (most people wash it off after a minute or so)
2. Witch hazel (I use an atomiser/spray for this these days)
3. Aftershave
4. Balm (Optional)
Neck shaving is always a pain and even my hair grows in different directions. It looks like the bottom quadrant of your neck looks to be growing somewhat upwards with a slight angle.
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Whatever works for you is just fine!
I would echo what everyone else has said - do what works for you.
Personally I would not say I ‘gave up’ on DE. Rather I evolved away from it when I found GII/Trac 2 carts with a decent heavy metal handle. I then discovered SE shaving and haven’t looked back. The Gillette Guard is the best razor for my skin by miles - and I am fine with that. I use a Twig and a vintage Schick Type J from time to time also. I keep an English Tech in my small collection in case the mood takes me, but in reality I don’t really use DE at all.
Personally I would not say I ‘gave up’ on DE. Rather I evolved away from it when I found GII/Trac 2 carts with a decent heavy metal handle. I then discovered SE shaving and haven’t looked back. The Gillette Guard is the best razor for my skin by miles - and I am fine with that. I use a Twig and a vintage Schick Type J from time to time also. I keep an English Tech in my small collection in case the mood takes me, but in reality I don’t really use DE at all.
DE shaving takes time.
I didnt read this entire thread, but IMO, you need to stick to one set of variables and work on technique.
This does not account for defective equipment, so if your razor is unscrewing mid-shave, tighten that sucker down or replace it, otherwise changing a bunch of stuff randomly won't help.
You need to learn how to shave, as we all did. There will be growing pains but you can make incremental progress in your technique...
...or if you don't want to bother, go back to carts if that works best for you.
I didnt read this entire thread, but IMO, you need to stick to one set of variables and work on technique.
This does not account for defective equipment, so if your razor is unscrewing mid-shave, tighten that sucker down or replace it, otherwise changing a bunch of stuff randomly won't help.
You need to learn how to shave, as we all did. There will be growing pains but you can make incremental progress in your technique...
...or if you don't want to bother, go back to carts if that works best for you.
OP decided to give up on DE razors, otherwise talks a lot more about equipment than technique.
Should be the other way round me thinks.
Noted.
Otherwise I am with CCS: “I'm not reading three pages of this topic…”
Anything else?
We are not trying to talk someone out of jumping from a high rise building here, are we?
The man said he made his decision.
B.
Should be the other way round me thinks.
Noted.
Otherwise I am with CCS: “I'm not reading three pages of this topic…”
Anything else?
We are not trying to talk someone out of jumping from a high rise building here, are we?
The man said he made his decision.
B.
He said later in the thread he wasn’t actually giving up on it.
Exactly!
As @kaufdrop27 said, the OP has since changed his mind.
When I participate in a thread where someone asks for advice, I read the thread first. I don't care how long it might be. I can't give educated advice unless I know the details.
And this one is only 4 pages long (couple minutes of reading time).
But that's just me!
I read the title.
If the title says “Gave up on safety razors”, I assume that the OP means it, has thought about it long enough to make a well informed decision, and I don’t think it would be befitting to talk him out of it.
Any attempt to talk him out of it would indicate that I don’t take what he says seriously or I didn’t believe he had thought it through enough.
if, however, it should have been a (poorly) disguised attempt to attract attention, then I refuse to take the bait.
Either way, don’t expect me to plow through 71 posts to find out whether the OP meant it, or not.
Even after retirement, I have better things to do with my time.
Of course, what other people do with their time is entirely their business.
B.
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Too hard to tell direction from thar pic.
That said, you don't need to post a pic. It will be whatever the direction is. If it's 8 different directions for 8 different spots, that's what it is.
For me, the biggest thing is NOT going ATG on my 1st pass, anywhere. If I do a quick shave and don't follow the direction on my neck, I'll be sure to go WTG or XTG.
A lot of your issues are unreal expectations of a BBS after 2 weeks of wet shaving or not being able to feel any stubble when you run your hand ATG. These are results that take years and may never be achieved by some. Don't chase them. A BBS is highly overrated and only lasts an hour until stubble starts coming back if you look for it with a hand rub.
Strive for a comfortable shave and one that LOOKS good. Your technique will improve and your skin will slowly adjust to wet shaving with a razor being dragged over it.
It all takes time....and patience.
That said, you don't need to post a pic. It will be whatever the direction is. If it's 8 different directions for 8 different spots, that's what it is.
For me, the biggest thing is NOT going ATG on my 1st pass, anywhere. If I do a quick shave and don't follow the direction on my neck, I'll be sure to go WTG or XTG.
A lot of your issues are unreal expectations of a BBS after 2 weeks of wet shaving or not being able to feel any stubble when you run your hand ATG. These are results that take years and may never be achieved by some. Don't chase them. A BBS is highly overrated and only lasts an hour until stubble starts coming back if you look for it with a hand rub.
Strive for a comfortable shave and one that LOOKS good. Your technique will improve and your skin will slowly adjust to wet shaving with a razor being dragged over it.
It all takes time....and patience.
- Thread starter
- #74
Regarding to my shaving issues, I’m to consult my brother-in-law, cause he had the same problem, razor burns, razor bumps and ingrown hair. I’m going to ask him what did he do to correct this.
I'm confident you can overcome these issues. I think you need to replace your razor with one that doesn't come loose during shaving. Get one with a little weight, use good pre-shave prep with good slickness, and make sure not to use pressure on the razor.
I like these in a couple of razors, but somehow they never seem to get picked when I have others available.
Sorry for your trouble, man, hope you'll find your matching razor & equipment and hence, here's couple of my lessons learned:
1. my neck-beard grows sideways on the right and downwards on left, weird isn't it?
So, when I shave I just go downwards (N -> S) and in most cases it works. Didn't mapped anything, just figured that "my face pain is least this way"... weeks later, it became sort of habbit now it just glides. Had no issues on 2nd pass which is mostly upwards or diagonaly towards chin. So go for the most comfortable path!
2. mild razors do have tiny work-angle range. It's not impossible to master it but might be tough in beginning. I enjoy my R89 and Wilkinson Sword Classic as much as Henson Mild for steady, graduate beard reduction, very comfy, but - I do find more efficient razors like Rocca, Fatip to have wider angle span that works great and does more job in single pass. Downside - very, very, air-light pressure required, or there'll be pain.
3. as my old barber said "well lathered = half shaved" so make sure your face is well wet, lathered, creamy, and regardless of razor - brushing lather into whiskers works better than can-foams. For your beard type I'd try boar brushes, lots of them! They lift hair better and scrub dirt and oils from skin, and are cheap.
4. when I switched to Arko I could even use shavette without iritation, so - if you suffer from dry skin try getting "fatty", slicky soaps, tallow based, almond oil works also nice, Cella is my fav. for slickness but anything with tallow worked well for me. Nivea or Proraso Red creams, Stirling Almond Creme...
5. don't look at this as point of no return
I've got and tried 5 dif. razors, use 3 in rotation and ocassionally still try cartridge just for revisit. Gillette Skinguard never caused me any pain and haven't provide nice shave as well, but still better than ingrown hairs. Anything with 3+ blades just plucked my hairs bellow skin 
So, try and use whatever works for you - revisit, combine... Don't force it if you find something better.
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For what it is worth I used my Rockwell Model-T2 today with stunning results. I didn't even use what people would describe as a top tier soap. I slapped in a 5th use Wizamet blade and put it on setting 2 - 2.5 was more than enough to get a super comfortable shave even on the neck which has been problematic for me of late. Zero irritation to speak of.
Razor's are not magical but sometimes you also get lucky on your shave. Nothing can beat good technique but I am sure you are aware of that.
I reflected upon your post prior and during my shave and can honestly say that perhaps this is the way forward for you to go if not some sort of adjustable razor so you can dial in the correct settings for you face and skill level for different parts of your face. take it slowly and remember that it's about beard reduction and not getting it all done in less than 5minutes. Resist trying to go over the one spot multiple times especially if you haven't re-lathered (get it on the next pass). You don't need to always have a BBS shave.
One thing to keep in mind is that Rockwell have the parts for the Model T2 made in different countries and then assembled on mass and as such the quality can at times be a hit and a miss more to the point is that some parts are Zamak which is the same brittle material used to make the same Merkur razors you are used to which does not sit well for many people as it's price often does not fall in line with the materials used and as such long term quality is not assured. Even I would love a completely brass and chrome plated version or completely stainless steel Model T2 but it is what it is and many people are bitter about that. (Vaguely remembered it was going to be a thing at one point but Rockwell changed their mind)
Rockwell like many manufacturers have raised their prices recently (Tatara are about to also).
In my experiences Rockwell have been very good about any issues and have gone to great lengths to make up for things but not all of us have a keen eye and are aware of such issues so it gets complicated and its quicker and easier just to assume that we are just having some bad shaves also.
Honestly tonight the Rockwell out performed many of my other razors and left me wondering why I let this one fall out of the rotation so if that is where you are headed and it will inspire you to continue shaving and enjoy wet shaving more then why not particularly if it is within your budget without getting too stupid like the rest of us.
I feel like a big aspect of this shave was that I went pretty heavy on the soap. It was a Razorock soap and I loaded that SOB like it was my last ever shave. I had tons of lather and it rewarded me with a stellar shave. It was a bit sad to flush away all that lather when I was done but honestly I would rather have a good shave and have to buy more soap down the line than have many bad shaves and have tons of unused soaps laying around. (that's my new way of thinking as of 5 hours ago lol)
Razor's are not magical but sometimes you also get lucky on your shave. Nothing can beat good technique but I am sure you are aware of that.
I reflected upon your post prior and during my shave and can honestly say that perhaps this is the way forward for you to go if not some sort of adjustable razor so you can dial in the correct settings for you face and skill level for different parts of your face. take it slowly and remember that it's about beard reduction and not getting it all done in less than 5minutes. Resist trying to go over the one spot multiple times especially if you haven't re-lathered (get it on the next pass). You don't need to always have a BBS shave.
One thing to keep in mind is that Rockwell have the parts for the Model T2 made in different countries and then assembled on mass and as such the quality can at times be a hit and a miss more to the point is that some parts are Zamak which is the same brittle material used to make the same Merkur razors you are used to which does not sit well for many people as it's price often does not fall in line with the materials used and as such long term quality is not assured. Even I would love a completely brass and chrome plated version or completely stainless steel Model T2 but it is what it is and many people are bitter about that. (Vaguely remembered it was going to be a thing at one point but Rockwell changed their mind)
Rockwell like many manufacturers have raised their prices recently (Tatara are about to also).
In my experiences Rockwell have been very good about any issues and have gone to great lengths to make up for things but not all of us have a keen eye and are aware of such issues so it gets complicated and its quicker and easier just to assume that we are just having some bad shaves also.
Honestly tonight the Rockwell out performed many of my other razors and left me wondering why I let this one fall out of the rotation so if that is where you are headed and it will inspire you to continue shaving and enjoy wet shaving more then why not particularly if it is within your budget without getting too stupid like the rest of us.
I feel like a big aspect of this shave was that I went pretty heavy on the soap. It was a Razorock soap and I loaded that SOB like it was my last ever shave. I had tons of lather and it rewarded me with a stellar shave. It was a bit sad to flush away all that lather when I was done but honestly I would rather have a good shave and have to buy more soap down the line than have many bad shaves and have tons of unused soaps laying around. (that's my new way of thinking as of 5 hours ago lol)
ERS4
My exploding razor knows secrets
In addition to using WTG/XTG/ATG with growth directions, I think the "J-Hook" technique is very helpful to break through the disordered growth directions without causing a pulling feeling.
The "J-Hook" trick comes from the way a straight razor oscillates like a car wiper.
When the DE uses the "J-Hook" technique, rotate the razor in a small area around your face, like drawing a little J or C.
This trick helps clear some difficult areas. And since the cutting direction is variable, the hair can be cut continuously from different directions.
The "J-Hook" trick comes from the way a straight razor oscillates like a car wiper.
When the DE uses the "J-Hook" technique, rotate the razor in a small area around your face, like drawing a little J or C.
This trick helps clear some difficult areas. And since the cutting direction is variable, the hair can be cut continuously from different directions.
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